Best Parks In Chicago To Spend Quality Time

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park is alongside Lake Michigan. It is named after US President Abraham Lincoln and is Chicago’s one of the best and expansive parks stretched in 1200 acres. The park’s main attraction is Lincoln Park, Zoo you can visit without paying a penny, and one of the best museums in Chicago, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. 

The greenery in the park will let you breathe fresh air and make your mind peaceful. However, the park also has paths for jogging, walking, or riding a bike. Apart from these, you can play golf, skate, boat, or let your kids play in the playground. All these uniques attractions make Lincoln Park the best if you are looking for a family picnic. 

Timings: 6:00am – 11pm

Nearby Cafes– Pasta Palazzo, Café Ba-Ba-Reeba, and Chicago Pizza.

Millennium- The Best Parks in Chicago

Millennium Park is stretched in 24.5 acres and is titled one of the Midwest’s top attractions. It draws a lot of public attention as it features various performances, artworks, and movie screenings. Among the everyday crowd, Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion is the center of attraction. The pavilion has 4000 permanent seats and additional lawn seating for approx 7000 people. 

Another terrific attraction is the crown fountain which displays videos while the waterfalls from top to bottom. The park has a lot of activities to do; from walk-in Lurie Garden to a movie screening, you can enjoy everything. 

Timings: 8:00 am – 9pm

Nearby Cafes: Remington’s, Park Grill Chicago, The Gage

Grant Park

Grant Park is one of the best parks in Chicago, located in the city’s central business district. It was initially known as Lake Park; however, it was renamed in 1901 in honor of US President Ulysses S. Grant. The park is majorly a venue for various performances, annual events, and showcasing artwork. Moreover, the park also features the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus. 

Frederick Law Olmsted AND Calvert Vaux initially designed the park in 1871 but was redesigned in 1893. Jackson Park is the largest and historic park in the city. With several activities and attractions, the locals and the tourists are fond of this park. It offers a fitness center, a playground for kids, tennis courts, golf courses, and a baseball field.

In addition, it is also a center of Osaka Garden, which is a Japanese-inspired garden in the east lagoon. The best time to visit Osaka Garden is from late April to early May, where you can witness the season of Cherry Blossoms. It is eye-pleasing scenery. Currently, the park is under construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

Timings: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Nearby Cafe: The Slab Bar-B-Que, Piccolo Mondo

The 606

Originally this park was known as Bloomingdale Trail; however, it was renamed as we know it today. The 606 implies the first three digits of Chicago’s west side zip code. In 2015, Chicago changed the former Bloomingdale Line into a greenway, pedestrian, and bike path connecting several parks and public art. 

The park’s route runs through Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park, and Bucktown, with beautiful scenic points. The 606 is a famous and favorite of bikers, joggers, and children because of the nearby play area. Apart from these, The 606 also has graffiti art in the way. All these attractions make it the best park in Chicago to visit with family and friends.

Timings: 6:00 am-11:00 pm 

Nearby Cafe: Lola’s Coney Island, CJ’s eatery, Haywood Tavern

Garfield Park

Garfield is one of the best parks in Chicago, which spreads across 173 acres of land.  It offers several amenities like baseball, boxing, outdoor swimming, athletic running tracks, basketball, and tennis courts. Apart from the sports amenities, this park has the most beautiful floral gardens and a historic fieldhouse with a beautiful ballroom. 

In addition, Garfield Park’s conservatory is one of the most significant and impressive conservatories in Chicago. It is often referred to as ‘Landscape Art Under Glass.’ Garfield was designed as a pleasure ground by William LeBaron Jenney and is categorized among the three original Chicago West Side Parks. Garfield is also a site for nature, art, and educational programs for all age groups. 

Timings: From Wednesday to Thursday 10 am – 8 pm (Monday and Tuesday closed) 

Weekends: 10am- 5pm

Nearby Cafe: Lola’s Coney Island, CJ’s eatery, Haywood Tavern

Maggie Daley Park

Maggie Park is a neighbor to Millennium Park to the east. This 20-acre park is newly built and considered the best park in Chicago. In addition, the park also has facilities for a skating ribbon, a mini-golf course, a tennis court, and a climbing wall for a fun activity. 

However, the skating ribbon is the center attraction of the public to visit Maggie Daley Park. Landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh designed the park. The ceremonial ribbon cutting of the park was on December 13, 2014, and is named for Maggie Daley. She was the first lady who died of cancer in 2011. The park has a dedicated space to honor cancer survivors. 

Timings: 6 am- 9 pm

Nearby Cafe: Park grill, brown bag seafood co

OZ- Best Parks In Chicago

Oz Park is just at the corner of Lincoln Park. The border of the park is Lincoln Park High School and also features many sculptures and statues. Mostly the figures are the characters from The Wizard of Oz, a book written by Chicago reporter L. Frank Baum. Since the park is themed according to the book, it has a small playground with a wooden castle and maze structure. Moreover, the park has slides, trains to climb in, and some rocking animals to hop on for toddlers. The Oz park also has an emerald garden which is the main attraction of the park.

If you have kids, then a day out here will be fun with them because this Oz park is ideal for kids and some adults who are fans of the wizard of Oz. 

Timings: 6 AM to 11 PM

Nearby Cafe: Sine, Chez Moi, and Kizami Sushi